Impact of altered environment and early postnatal methamphetamine exposure on serotonin levels in the rat hippocampus during adolescence.

Background: Methamphetamine (MA) is a highly abused psychostimulant across all age groups including pregnant women. Because developing brain is vulnerable by the action of drugs, or other noxious stimuli, the aim of our study was to examine the effect of early postnatal administration of MA alone or in combination with enriched environment (EE) and/or stress of separate housing, on the levels of serotonin (5HT) in the hippocampus of male rat pups at three stages of adolescence (postnatal day (PND) 28, 35 and 45). MA (5 mg/kg/ml) was administered subcutaneously (sc) to pups (direct administration), or via mothers' milk between PND1 and PND12 (indirect administration).

Levels of BDNF and NGF in adolescent rat hippocampus neonatally exposed to methamphetamine along with environmental alterations.

Neurotrophins are proteins included in development and functioning of various processed in mammalian organisms. They are important in early development but as well as during adulthood. Brain - derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) have been previously linked with many psychiatric disorders such as depression and addiction.

Skin temperature contribution to the decrease in withdrawal latency following chronic constriction injury.

Background: Chronic constriction injury (CCI) is widely used as an animal neuropathic pain model. Neuropathic pain is considered to exist when withdrawal latency to thermal stimulation is decreased after inducing a CCI to the sciatic nerve. However, it is known that CCI leads to changes in skin temperature and that skin temperature can affect withdrawal latency.